The exit tunnel is in area 1-16 on the map (see below).
It continues on a while (see below).
Into a watery chamber, area 1-15 on the map (see below).

The Dwarves lower themselves down to the rocky floor of the huge chamber, collect their new magic items from Ragnarr (see last turn), and then the Rogue leads the way to the exit tunnel he’s found.

“This better go somewhere…” Koda complains.

Ragnarr leads on, down a narrow, but high-ceilinged, rocky passageway, a little way down the tunnel Ragnarr and Koda are sent ahead- there’s a cool breeze coming from this direction, and the sound of… water.

The pair arrive at a chamber completely filled with water, although it’s shallow at the edge the pool looks to get deeper. It’s difficult to tell the depth of the water as the entire surface is covered in algae, however there’s an exit visible- just at the edge of the adventurer’s light source.

The passage continues to the south, Ragnarr and Koda are sent to find a way, hugging the wall they wade over- Tordek watches and waits in the entrance passage.

The pair are almost to the exit when suddenly lurching up from beneath the surface of the water comes a massive skeletal serpent, the thing is lightning fast- it darts in and snatches Tordek in its jaws, grabbing the fighter and hoisting him into the air.

Skeleton Giant Water Snake- Big Trouble.

The serpent is huge, at least fifteen feet of the creature is visible above the water, there must be at least the same again beneath the surface, perhaps up to twice as much- it could be fifty to sixty feet long.

Tordek screams as he is crushed in the creature’s skeletal jaws.

The great serpent rises up some more, its skeleton coils now visible above the surface of the water; the creature is definitely over forty feet long, the struggling Tordek is neatly dropped into the middle of the beast’s skeleton coils- and instantly grabbed and crushed, the Fighter is bloodied and left dazed.

The creature darts forward to capture another Dwarf, the adventurers react and take the opportunity to lash out at the serpent. Koda gives it hell- Opening the Gates of Battle, combined with a Flurry, the Monk then ducks beneath the surface of the water and swims- beneath the algae and out of sight, he hopes, of the serpent.

Berend slashes the thing with his Twin Strike longswords, while Fenchurch offers some Majestic Words to the clutched and crushed Tordek. The Bard then hits the beast with his Ray of Enfeeblement, from his new wand, the serpent is left wounded and weakened- it visibly sags.

Tordek meanwhile, somehow manages to squeeze his way out of the great serpent’s coils (Athletics check 23 will do it) the Dwarf- still dazed, totters and staggers but at least he’s free.

Grimm swears an Oath and then hits the serpent with his Abjure Undead, the Skeleton burns in his radiant light.

Ragnarr launches a dagger, Koda surfaces next to the snake’s coils- climbs aboard and then gets all chop-socky with his Dancing Cobra (apposite), with two Flurries to accompany, courtesy of his Supreme Flurry power.

Travok issues his Divine Challenge, the serpent takes notice and smashes into the Paladin who out of sorts misses with his Holy Strike, Travok is hoisted into the air, and like Tordek, crushed in the serpent’s jaws. The Skeleton Snake lurches back, and drops the Paladin neatly into its coils- Travok is crushed some more, and left bloodied and dazed- only just clinging on to life (with something like 6 hit points left).

Berend slices the snake with his longsword, a Marauder’s Rush, trying to smash Travok free from its coils, the serpent is at last bloodied (it started with 192 hit points).

Fenchurch offers more Majestic Words, this time to Travok- the Paladin smiles weakly and gives a thumbs up sign, he’s alive for now. The Bard follows up with a Staggering Note. Tordek, still balanced on the beast’s coils, smashes (appropriately) with his Steel Serpent Strike, the great Skeleton Snake is being hacked apart, although Tordek’s follow up attack (Action Point) fails to make a dent in the beast. Grimm rushes in and leaps up and on to the coils of the lowly wyrm, hacks once, and then twice with his Radiant Vengeance- both blows shatter bones and burn the serpent.

Ragnarr suddenly screams at Koda, “the neck- NOW!”

The Monk complies with the Rogue’s demand for an attack and gains the benefits of Ragnarr’s Sneak in the Attack- the Monk’s Five Storms and accompanying Flurry shatter the spine of the serpent just below its head- the thing concertinas, crashes and falls apart.

The Dwarves scatter and splash into the foetid water, and then furiously doggy-paddle their way back to the shore.

A little while later, once the PCs have got their breath back- and the guys around the table have stopped grinning, the area is briefly searched, or at least as best it can be- foetid water is hard to search, and then after a short rest the Dwarves head on, Ragnarr again at the front.

In truth they’re now desperate to find the forge- and we’re running out of time for this session.

A few minutes later the guys butt up against an ancient looking portcullis which completely blocks the passage, ahead a beach and beyond a much larger cavern, in fact a much much larger cavern.

Where the hell are they?

Nice action with the serpent, tough on the Dwarves trying to fight in five feet of water, I helped them out a little- but not a lot, they generally stayed back and waited for the serpent to launch its attack. Nice monster, although as previous, I should have made it nastier for the seven Dwarves- I didn’t for the simple reason that, as I also said earlier, we’re rushing to get to the end of this scenario.